Knitting on the Beach

Hi fellow knitters!  I am on vacation right now on the Jersey Shore - no, not with Snookie! - and working on a beaded scarf using the Milanese Lace stitch from the second Walker Treasury.  You can check out my progress on my FaceBook page.  (I am Sapphiresn Purls on FB)  It's coming along very nicely.   Can't wait to finish.  Happy Knitting!!!

Simple Crochet Border

Sample knit with Baby's First by Lion Brand

Just thought I would make a little video on adding a crochet border to a knitted item.  If you aren't a crocheter, don't worry - you can still do this.  I don't know much about crochet, but this is simple enough for even someone like me.
Usually, I add a few extra stitches to my stitch pattern to make a border around my knitting, so that when I bind off, I am done.  However, if you decide you would like to add a border after the fact, this is an easy way to do it.
You should use a crochet hook appropriate for whatever yarn you are using, or, whatever hook looks closest in size to the knitting needle you used for the main part of your fabric.  You can use the last loop of your bind off as the starting point for your crochet border, or break the yarn and make the border in another color of your choice.

Life Lines and Frogging

I never seem to learn my lesson - I am referring to using life lines when knitting.  I will not detail how to put in a life line, because I never use one.  There are articles a plenty on the net, including this one from Knitting Daily.    A life line is kind of like a book mark, and can save you time and grief should you make a mistake.  Just insert a life line to hold the place of the last row you know doesn't have a mistake, maybe every 5-10 rows or so, or whatever you feel comfortable with.  And should you make a mistake beyond that life line, all you have to do is rip back to that point.
Myself, I usually just work backwards until I reach my mistake; this is handy if the mistake is caught in the same row it is made, or just one or two rows back.  Many more than that, and if it won't cause a major change in the flow of the fabric, I tend to just let it go and deem it "character".  If I am not far along in the project, I just frog completely and start over from the beginning.  Or, set the project aside for so long I forget where I was in the pattern; in these cases, I just shrug and frog and put the yarn back into my stash bag.
You may know I have been working on a very big cabled afghan - if I calculated correctly this puppy will be 6 feet by 6 feet.  This is by far the largest project I have ever worked on.  I can't for the life of me figure out why I wanted to do this.  I've flubbed a few times, and this afternoon did it again.  So, deciding to make lemonade from my lemon, I decided to share with you how I work backwards to fix my mistakes.

Miss Marple and Knitted Lace

Knitting before breakfast?

That is the opening line in Miss Marple: Caribbean Mystery.  Miss Marple is on holiday at a Caribbean resort, and some saucy broad comes waltzing past and sees Miss Marple knitting, and asks her "Knitting before breakfast?" I couldn't figure out what she was knitting; at one point it shows her looking at the pattern, and it says "Diddle Dumpling".  I kept pausing to see if I could figure out what it is, but the picture was too blurry.  But wouldn't you know it, I am not the only one curious!  I came across this while in search of the pattern.  Interesting!  There are also a few scenes in which she wears a beautifully delicate, lacy shawl.   I'd sure like to have that pattern!!

I rather enjoyed watching this, and plan to watch some more just to see what Miss Marple has on her needles.  I've heard of Miss Marple before but never read any of Christie's books featuring her.  I don't recall how I came across this, but am glad I did.  (You can rent this from Netflix, or if you are an amazon.com Prime member, it is available to watch instantly for free.)

PieceWork Magazine had an article titled "What Would Miss Marple Knit" in their September/October 2010 issue.  I will have to go back and read this - I believe I just skimmed it the first time around.   I've poked around the net a bit to see if there are any Miss Marple patterns out there with no luck.  I did find that apparently Jennifer Garner will be playing a younger Miss Marple - in which the knitting does not play a part.  Huh?  Say it ain't so!  I liked seeing the knitting throughout the movie I watched the other day;  perhaps this is when she comes up with the solution to the mystery.  Myself, knitting tends to be a time to reflect and think.  I don't think you can have Miss Marple without knitting.

Moving on, I just received Knitted Lace - A Collection of Favorite Designs from INTERWEAVE.  Yes, these have appeared in the magazine over the years, and aren't new patterns.  However, since it would take forever to search through all of the magazines looking for each pattern, plus since I am missing some of the issues, this book is pretty handy.  Here are a few of the patterns I love:

Oriel Lace Blouse by Shirley Paden from Interweave Knits Summer 2007.  This is knit with Alchemy Yarns Silken Straw (100% silk)

Facing Lilies Stole by Nancy Bush from Interweave Knits Spring 2010.  This is knit with Wooly West Horizons (100% wool)

Apres Surf Hoodie by Connie Chang Chinchio from Interweave Knits Summer 2010.  This is knit with Rowan Cashcotton 4 Ply, which is discontinued according to their site.  Elann has a substitution tool to help you find a suitable replacement if you can't get your hands on any (35% cotton, 25% polyamide, 18% angora, 13% viscose, 9% cashmere)

And my most favorite, Forest Path Stole by Faina Letoutchaia from Interweave Knits Summer 2003.  This is knit with Suri Elegance (100% Suri alpaca).  This is absolutely gorgeous, and I must have it!  Adding this one to my Knit-Q!  If you love lace and entrelac, this is for you too!!

That will wrap it up for now.  I am going to do some work on my shawl.  Until next time, Happy Knitting!